Centrifugal molding machine



Nov. 10, 1936.

R. RICHARDSON ET AL CENTRIFUGAL MOLDING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1932 :5Shets-Sheet l INVENTOR Robe ri R 1' chardson BY Bazemzm R-W ATTORNEYNov. 10, 1936. R. RlcHARDsoN ET AL, 2,060,121

CENTRIFUGAL MOLDING MACHINE 63 Filed May 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 (I 77(I if I 5 \\63 l l g T r 7; LI) 5] l w O i 7 0 l 69 I 1 l l Emi y] 55;;

| x l 1 li [/4 j L EU l INVENTQR Hobart .Ezchardson 1 BY WilliamSflaemarl I dig, 103 -QR-XWX k ATTORNEY Nov..- 10, 1936. R. RICHARDSONET AL 2,060,121

CENTRIFUGAL MOLDING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORRobert E lclzczrdson Eva- R- W ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT orrics CENTRIFUGAL MOLDING MACHINE tion of New JerseyApplication May 21, 1932, Serial No. 612,708

6 Claims. (01. 25-41) This invention relates to a machine for treating awet moldable mixture.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a machinewhich coincidentally extracts liquid from. a wet mix and molds the mixinto raw structural form, it being a function of the operation of themachine that the water is so extracted that every cross section of theresulting raw form is equally deliquidized, and for this reason it isespecially adapted for use in the manufacture of porous brick wherein anaerated mixture is treated.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a machinewhich functions centrifugally to deliqui-dize the wet mix andcoincidentally mold the same, no appreciable pressure other thancentrifugal force being applied to the mix during the molding operationand by reason of which it is again, as above stated, especiallyapplicable to the molding of aerated mixes in the formation of highlyporous brick of low thermal conductivity.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means whicheliminates the curve which would otherwise be the natural shape of abrick shaped on the free side when molded in the centrifugal machine.

A still further feature resides in the particular manner in which themolds are drained of the liquid separated out during the moldingoperation.

With the above and other objects in view we will now described one formof the invention by Way of illustration of the manner of carrying theinvention into practice.

In the drawings- Fig. l is a vertical central sectional view, in sideelevation, of a machine constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the tablelocking device;

Fig. 4 is a View on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional side elevation of the draining mold andits operating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 7 is a side elevationsimilar to Fig. 5 but with the mold in the retracted position; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the mold projecting mechanism in thedirection of the line 88 of Fig. 7.

The machine, as shown, comprises the foundation A, of concrete or thelike, upon which is mounted the base plate I drilled to be received uponthe grouted bolts 2 and retained by nuts 3.

The base plate I is centrally apertured to receive the Vertical spindle4 fixed with respect to the base plate I by a pin 5. The verticalspindle 5 4 is provided with upper and lower bearing surfaces 6 and l,and a reduced upper end portion 8 forming, with the main portion of thevertical spindle, a shoulder which receives a ball or other thrustbearing 9, the end of said reduced portion 10 8 being threaded as at illfor a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

Mounted upon the vertical spindle 4 is a driven member generallydesignated as l l and bored out to receive bushings I2 and i3 running onbearing 15 surfaces 6 and 1, respectively, of the center spindle i andhaving its upper driving flange l4 resting upon the thrust bearing 9,the said driven member ll being maintained on the vertical spindle 4 bythe nut l5 and washer IE on the reduced threaded end 8 of said spindle 4as 20 shown.

The driven member H is provided with a flange I! which receives andsupports a table l8 of circular form, and which is additionallysupported by radial arms I 9 carried by the driven member H. The flangel1, table l8 and arms I9 may be maintained in assembled relation bywelding or any other suitable means.

Above the table I8- and carried upon uprights 28 are cross members 2|which support a plat- 0 form' 22 upon which is mounted the base 23 of adriving gear box 24 which has vertical bearings 25 and 26 receiving thestub shaft 27, the upper end of which is keyed as at 28 to a bevel gear29 within the gear box 24 and held on said shaft by the jam nut 30; inthis same gear box 24 are horizontal bearings 3i and 32 journaling ahorizontal shaft 33 having a bevel gear 36 fixed thereto and restrainedagainst displacement by a collar 35, a collar 35 also acting to prevent4o displacement of the shaft 33. Outside of the gear box 24 and fixed tothe shaft 33 is a gear 31 meshing with a gear 38 on the shaft of thedriving motor 39 also mounted upon the platform 22.

On the lever end of the stub shaft 21 is a coupling member 48 which isin driving engagement with a companion member M on vertical shaft 12,the lower end of which is, at l3, in keyed 5 relation to a couplingmember 4A which is in driving relation, as by pins 45 with its companionmember I 4 on the driven member H and thus the motor 39 rotates thetable I 8.

In order to protect the bearing surface 1 the 55 foundation plate 8 isprovided with an annulus G5 and the driven member H carries a flange 41which overlaps the same and provides a labyrinth excluding dust.

The table it, at uniformly spaced intervals around its periphery, hasmounted thereon draining molds B, each of which comprises a box-likeform having a bottom Q8, front 49 and ends 56 within which is a falsebottom 5! secured as at 52 to one end of a tubular support 53. Thetubular support 53, at its bottom, receives the bifurcated member 54having journaled therein the roller 55 on the pin 56 which carries guidepieces 5'! sliding in guide members 58 on opposite sides, and which aresecured to the table 58 by means of a base 59 and bolts 60. A bushing 6isupports the upper end of the tubular member 53 in its reciprocatingmovement. The false bottom 52 has hinged thereto, as at 62 theforaminous front 53 and sides 63. Opposite this foraminous side 62 andparallel thereto is the foraminous member 65 which is secured as at 65to reciprocating member 66 within the casing G! mounted in the support68, and which has a limit stop screw 69 traveling in the passage !B ofthe reciprocable member 65. The end of the casing 5'! is provided with athreaded guide H having a shoulder 72 against which a spring 53 bears,this spring '53 surrounds a spindle i4, which is guided in a tail guide'15 which is supported in the tubular member 16 surrounding the springand which thus confines the spring between the shoulder 72 and the innorend of the tail guide 75. The tail guide 75 is secured to the rod l4 sothat as the foraminous side 64 is moved toward the foraminous side 63the spring 73 is compressed. A cover plate ll is hinged as at 18 andcarries at its forward side a locking lever 9 with a latch 80 engagingan opening 8| in the side 49, said locking lever being hinged to thecover as at 82 and provided with a spring 83 which maintains the latchBil in position until manually unlatched. When the latch 86 isdisengaged from the recess or opening 8! the cover plate Ti may beraised to the elevated position shown in Fig. 5. A liquid vent 84 isprovided in the bottom of the supporting member 68 to drain away liquid.

It will be seen from the foregoing that if the support 53 is projectedupwardly the parts 63 and 63' will fall away by reason of its hingedjoints 62.

In order to project the interior of the mold upward the table 58 must belocked in position.

A spray gathering annulus 85 encloses the upper edge of the table andrises to approximately the elevation of the molds B and carries detents86 spring pressed as shown at 8'5 and lever actuated as shown at 88,which engages a notch 89 in the edge of the table l3 for the purpose ofregistering the molds with operating mechanism to be hereinafterdescribed. The detent mechanism is more clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4and consists of a bracket 99 which has a plunger 9! pressed intooperative position by the spring 8'? housed within a casing 92, and theend of said plunger or detent is provided with a bifurcated rod 93pivoted to the lever 94 as at 95, and to a support 96 as at 91 so that alever may be operated to retract the detent 85, a locking piece 58 beingpivoted as at 99 to the support I56 for the purpose of locking thedetent in the nonengaging position.

The operating mechanism for the molds comprises a. base plate Hllsecured by bolts N32 to the foundation A and which, in turn, secures inposition bases 33 carrying air cylinders H34 in each of which there islocated a piston I05 connected with a piston rod H36 passing through thepacking iii! in the upper end 08 of the air cylinder, and said packingbeing compressed by gland E09 secured by gland bolts H0. The upper endof the piston is provided with an engaging member !H which has thearcuate shaped piece H2 thereon which is adapted to engage the rollers55 when the molds are in the position registered for detent engagementof the detents 88 with the notches 89 in the table l8. In this positionair is admitted beneath the piston H85 through the port H2 to drive thepiston I05 upwardly and upon the molds, as shown in Fig. 5, the latch 89being first disengaged. The molds may be retracted by relieving the airfrom beneath the piston and admitting air to reverse the motion of thepiston through the pipe H3, a suitable valve (not shown) being providedfor this purpose.

The mold cover '5'? is hinged as shown clearly in Fig. 5 and is thrownto open position by the spring H4. Guides H5 are provided to engage theend pieces 63 of the mold to return them to their normal position whenthe mold parts are retracted.

In the operation of the machine heretofore described, a wet mix such forinstance as an aerated mixture for forming insulating bricks, is filledinto the molds when such molds are in the retracted position, but withthe cover Tl open. The mold covers are latched down after the molds arefilled. When all the molds have been filled and the covers latched themotor 39 is started and revolves the table IS with the result thatcentrifugal force deliquidizes the mix in each mold uniformly throughoutthe area of each brick shape.

The brick shapes are assisted in taking form both by the centrifugalaction on the material itself and by the fact that the centrifugalaction causes the foraminous follower plates 64 to come against the mixin each mold, such followers moving against the restraint of springs H,the tension of which may be adjusted to give the followers the properaction.

As soon as the table I8 is stopped the molds B are registered by thedetents 86 in the proper position for extraction of the molded brickshapes and the latches 8E] disengaged. The air operated plungers I05then are utilized to project the molds to the open position shown inFig. 5, whereupon the sides fall away from the brick shape and the shapemay be removed.

While, in the foregoing, we have described a specific embodiment of theinvention, it is nevertheless to be understood that in practicing theinvention we may resort to any modifications defined by the appendedclaims.

We claim-- 1. A molding machine for building units comprising a rotarytable having draining molds including movable sides operable to open andclosed positions and receiving a batch of liquid carrying material, aretractable follower for each mold, means for rotating the table todeliquidize the material and whereby the follower is moved into contactwith the material when the mold is in closed position, means forretracting the follower when the table is stationary, and means foropening the mold only when the table is stationary.

2. A molding machine for building units comprising a rotary table havingdraining molds including movable sides operable to open and closedpositions and receiving a batch of liquid carrying material, aretractable follower for each mold, a tension adjustment for saidfollower, means for rotating the table to deliquidize the material andwhereby the follower is moved into contact with the material when themold is in the closed position, means for retracting the follower whenthe table is stationary, and means for opening the mold only when thetable is stationary.

3. A molding machine for building units comprising a rotary table havingdraining molds including movable sides operable to open and closedpositions and receiving a batch of liquid carrying material, acentrifugally moved retractable follower for each mold, a tensionadjustment for said follower, means for rotating the table todeliquidize the material and whereby the follower is moved into contactwith the material when the mold is in the closed position, means forretracting the follower when the table is stationary, means for openingthe mold only when the table is stationary, and means for locking thetable in a position to register the molds with the mold-opening means.

4. A molding machine for building units comprising a rotary table havingdraining molds including movable sides operable to open and closedpositions and receiving a batch of liquid carrying material, acentrifugally moved retractable follower for each mold, a tensionadjustment for said follower, means for rotating the table todeliquidize the material and whereby the follower is moved into contactwith the material when the mold is in the closed position, means forretracting the follower when the table is stationary, and fluid operatedmeans for opening the mold only when the table is stationary.

5. A molding machine for building units comprising a rotary table havingdraining molds including foraminous movable sides operable to open andclosed positions and receiving a batch of liquid carrying material, acentrifugally moved retractable follower for each mold, means forrotating the table to 'deliquidize the material and whereby the followeris moved into contact with the material when the mold is in closedposition, means for retracting the follower when the table isstationary, and means for opening the mold only when the table isstationary.

6. A molding machine for building units, comprising reticulatedcollapsible molds adapted to be filled with a semi-liquid material andarranged for movement in a circular path for centrifugally deliquidizingthe material, a perforate follower in each mold centrifugally maintainedin contact with the material as the same is drained means for supportingand moving said molds at a deliquidizing speed, means assisting inremoving the molded units from the molds, and locking means securingeach mold stationary in a predetermined location with respect to saidassisting means.

ROBERT RICHARDSON. WILLIAM S. BA'IEMAN, JR.

